I begin this petition with a personal story, as a descendant of Mohi Tāwhai who signed New Zealand’s founding documents warning that “Our sayings will sink like a stone”. Nearly two centuries later, his descendant, myself, a university business degree holder with a 20-year career history overseas leading tech teams, faces the bitter reality of systemic employment discrimination after returning to offer his father emotional support when his wife took ill.

Out of 5000 job applications, all I was offered was a janitorial position.

Discrimination in the job market is not a story unique to me but is a widespread issue among returning kiwis, Maori, Pasifika, Asians, and European immigrants in our nation, Aotearoa. Disproportionate exclusion from qualified roles is prevalent and statistics back this up.

Survey data from MBIE's Equal Employment Opportunities reveal the startling extent of racial discrimination. For example, Asians make up 15% of the population but only account for 10% of management positions in Aotearoa. Returning residents, despite their international work experience and qualifications, face a daunting 67% pay gap compared to their native counterparts.

Countries like Canada have already made requiring local experience illegal as of 2023, protecting workers.  New Zealand is behind the curve here.

With this petition, I implore the New Zealand Parliament and local employers to acknowledge and dismantle these systemic barriers to employment and promote a more inclusive Aotearoa. This is not just an issue of equal opportunities, but also a denial of our cultural heritage and individual pride. Your signatures can bring about the much-needed change.

Join me in this fight. Help us end systemic employment discrimination in Aotearoa. Sign the petition.